stephenson



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. STEPHENSON. GAR GIRDER BRAKE Patented Apr; 21,

M Attorney (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet-Z;

J. STEPHENSON.

GAR GIRDBR BRAKE.

No. 450,847. Patented Apr. 21, 1891.

Attorney STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CAR GlRDER-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,847, dated April 21, 1891.

Application filed October 3, 1890. Serial No. 366,9L1. (No model.)

" aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN STEPHENSON, a

itizen of the United States, residing at New 1 ork, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Girder-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

The present use of tram-cars on grades which were found impracticable before the time of cable and of electric motive power has made a demand for car-brakes of greater officiency which will hold cars on these high grades. Some such brakes have been attained on cars having appropriate trucks; but the form of many of the motors now used does not afford proper space for locating such rakes on the trucks as usually constructed.

The eiiiciency of track-brakes operating on the surface of the rails depends chiefly on the weight resting on or supported by the trackbrake shoes when in position, and when such tirack-brakes are attached to the car-body they lose the benefit of the added weight of U16 wheels, axles, and boxes, and are further open to the objection that the vertical motion of the car-body as it rises and falls with its ever-changing load on the supporting-springs renders their action indefinite and uncertain tr) some degree.

The object of my invention is to remedy lese defects and provide an improved arangement of the Wheel and track brakes *hercby they may be operated to the best ad- *antage and at the same time not interfere 'ith the motor or other part of the car; and 3 these ends my invention consists in mountig the brake mechanisms upon a girder outde of the car-wheels, and preferably attached the axle-boxes in substantially the manner ereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, igure 1 is a plan View of a portion of the ir-body frame-work mounted on the runing-gear. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. ig. 3 is an end View enlarged, showing the ack-brake. Fig. e is aside view of the same, 1d Fig. is a plan view thereof.

In the drawings the frame-work of the carbody A is shown as supported on pedestal E, ii which are the axle-boxes O of the axles D, and these may be of any desired or usual construction.

Arranged outside the wheels and attached or supported from the axle, and preferably secured to the axle-boxes O by means of the hangers E, is the girder F, one on each side, and this girder may be made of wood or other suitable material and of a form and strength proper for holding the brake mechanisms. These brake mechanisms may be of any desired construction and adapted to be applied to the wheels, to the track, or to both.

Some cars require wheel-brakes only; but others which are intended for use on steep grades need also track-brakes, and it is best and safest in all cases to provide both wheel and track brakes, and I have shown them herein as arranged to be mounted in the same housing, although it is manifest that they can be arranged in separate housings. This housing G is shown secured to the inner side of the girder bet-ween the two wheels at each side of the car.

The Wheel-brake rock-shaft H is mounted in the housing and is provided with a crankarm h, which is connected by a link h to the track-brake floating lever H, which is pivot ally mounted on the center hanger H the other end of which is attached to a connecting-rod H which is adapted to be operated by the usual brake-lever or standard at the end of the car, and these connections are usually duplicated, so that the brake can be operated from either or both ends of the car; also, mounted on the wheel-brake rock-shaft H are the arms 2', which are connected by the adjustable articulated plunge-bars I to the brake-shoes I, so that they may be applied in the usual way, the power of the operator being intensified to any desired amount, according to the relative proportions and ad j ustments of the parts. The track-brake rock-shafts K K are also mounted in the housing, which preferably has a projecting bracket or brackets G, forming a journalbearing for the shafts, and these shafts are each provided with a crank-arm 7.: is, connected by a link K and one of these cranks, as k, is connected to the track-brake floating lever K pivotally mounted on the trackbrake center hanger K and operated by the track-brake connecting-rod K", which may be operated by a brake-handle mounted in the usual standard at the end of the car. These standards may be arranged adjacent to each other or at diiferent sides of the platform, where they will be within convenient reach of the operator.

In order that the track-brake may be normally held suspended away from the track, I provide a track-brake recoil-spring L, which is suitably secured to the floor of the car or otherwise and is connected to the trackbrake union rock-shaft M and operates to normally hold the brake out of operative position.

The track-brake is shown as consisting of a channeled plate N, carrying shoes 0, and provided with standards or post n, arranged to slide in the guides g on the housing G, so their motion will be vertical, and they are connected to the rock-shafts K or to the lugs thereon by the links P.

I have thus described the preferred arrangement for mounting the track and wheel brake rock-shafts in the same housing; but when there is room between the Wheels it is evident that the'wheel-brakes may be mounted on separate housings or the brakeshoes may rest in brackets supported on the girder independent of the track-brake mechanism.

1 do not herein claim the housed car-wheel brake and the housed track-brake shown and described, as they form subject-matter of another application.

The girders F are not only utilized to support the track and wheel brake mechanisms, but they serve numerous other purposes, among which may be as supports for thetrackguards or rail-cleaners Q, which may be attached to the ends of the girders and supported in any suitable way, as by the links q.

' What I claim is 1. A car provided with an isolated girder on each side rigidly secured to the axle-boxes outside the car-wheels and each girder sup- 2. A car provided with an isolated girder on each side rigidly secured to the axle-boxes outside the car-wheels and each girder supporting unaided a Wheel-brake mechanism, including the rock-shafts, shoe-guides, and shoes operating solely upon the car-wheels, substantially as described.

3. A car provided with an isolated girder on each side rigidly secured to the axle-boxes outside the car-wheels, each girder support ing unaided a wheel-brake mechanism, and a track-brake mechanism, including the rockshafts, the wheel brake shoes and their guides, and also the track-brake shoes and their guides, each shoe being separate and independent from the other shoes, substantially as described.

4. A car with an isolated girder secured outside the wheels and having housing carrying a wheel-brake rock-shaft connected with wheel-brake shoes belonging exclusively to the wheels, and the housing carrying another rock-shaft connected with track-brake shoes belonging exclusively to track, substantially as described.

5. A car with an isolated girder outside the i car-wheels, provided with a housing support- 1 J O l ing rock-shafts and journal-bearings of both 1 the wheel and track brake mechanisms, and having guides for vertical motion of the trackbrake, substantially as described.

6. A car with isolated girder rigidly connected with the axle-boxes outside the carwheels and carrying a housed track-brake mechanism, with the brake-shoes attached te JOHN STEPHENSON. WVitnesses:

J OSEPH B. STEPHENSON, S. A. STEPHENSON. 

